This smacks of the same tactics as took down Freddy Laker...
British Airways is extending the savage airline price war to long-haul routes with a summer offensive that will see ticket prices fall by up to 42 per cent. The cuts are aimed at premium seats and are spread across 28 long-haul Club World routes, plus 75 Club Europe routes. Prices to Los Angeles and San Francisco will fall by £1,056 to £1,479 - a 42 per cent drop - while New York and Boston drop from £2,054 to £1,366 (33 per cent), Miami drops 37 per cent and Capetown 36 per cent. A British Airways spokesman said: 'We are taking the price war long-haul. The scale of these reductions is unprecedented for BA.' The news comes a week after BA slashed 30 per cent from 38 short-haul European routes from Gatwick, where there is a vicious price battle between network carriers and low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet. Low-cost carriers have warned that there will be a 'bloodbath' as cheap fares on short-haul routes force many of the 54 budget carriers out of business. Short-haul fares are now dramatically lower even allowing for the £5 energy surcharge BA and other airlines have imposed. The reduced fares, which run in July and August, are aimed at increasing volumes on high-margin seats throughout the summer - a period when business travel typically declines. The particular target is transatlantic routes, where there is strong competition between BA and American carriers, all of whom are still struggling with the after-effects of 11 September. The fare reductions will dilute BA's yields - the average price per seat. But the offer comes amid a rebound in passenger numbers over the depressed levels of last year, particularly on premium routes. Last April volumes were up 16.1 per cent on the previous year, with a 28.1 per cent increase on premium traffic. Although there are restrictions to the tickets - they need to be booked in advance, and long-haul flights require a Saturday stay - the airline is confident it can attract both business travellers and the top end of the leisure market. A spokesman said: 'The aim was to attract increased business travel, but also to attract wealthier customers. We want businesses to continue flying with us through the summer, and we are confident that they will see the value of these fares despite the need to book ahead.'
There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!
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